Kybd. Amp Needs More Gain - Use DI or Submixer?

I also posted this in the Live Sound forum:

When I'm doing PA for outdoor shows - which I do a bunch of in the summer time (the ones that don't get rained out! ), I run a Soundcraft MFXi8 as FOH mixer - small, simple, sounds clean - - does the job for my needs & the small groups I put together or freelance with.

I play two keyboards into a Motion Sound KPS00s stereo kybd. amp - which has two XLR DI's on the back of it. I run mic. cables from those DI's outs on the back of the KP200S over to 2 mic. channels (panning stereo L/R) on the FOH mixer - this sounds great, gives a decent amount of signal & gain to work with. Not as much as a mic'ed up gtr. amp, of course - but it's ok, as a kybd. player I've spent my life trying to overcome loud gtr. amps

Anyway, if there's extra vocalists on a gig or two gtr. plyrs. that both need amps mic'd up or something, I run out of mic. channels - there's only 8 mic. channels on the Soundcraft MFXi8 mixer & two stereo inputs, plus a stereo return. So I'll run the XLR DI outs from the back of the KP200S kybd. amp into the L/R inputs of one of the stereo channels - but there's HUGE signal loss, the gain is way too low. I use cables w/female XLR on one end and male TRS on the other to make these connections.

I also have a small Yamaha MG82cx I could use as a sub mixer, which does seem to boost the signal if I use it as a submixer, to split keys betw. my kbyd. amp and the FOH mixer. Should I run the keys to it first and split it two ways in that fashion (one send to kybd. amp, other to FOH)? It has L/R Monitor outs, which I could use to send stereo signal to the KP200S - and also the main L/R stereo outs, which I could use to send stereo signal to the FOH mixer.

Or -

Instead of using the sub mixer, should I just get a good DI box to take the signal out of the kbyd. amp and send it to the FOH mixer, skipping the Yam. MG82cx submixer altogether? The sub mixer gives me instant volume control at my fingers - as opposed to having to turn around and turn up my kybd. amp - adjusting its Main volume does NOT affect the amount of signal sent to the FOH... I'd have to use TRS/TRS male 1/4 cables to get the signal from the sub mixer into the stereo inputs on the FOH mixer. Should I use same cables to run signal from he sub mixer over to the kybd. amp?

...but having a DI instead of the submixer would also be one less piece of gear to plug in, electrically.

Btw -

I know the "stereo vs. mono" issue is a hot button topic as well - but I like running my keys in stereo & when I'm in charge of PA duty on a gig, I do - - so "stereo vs. mono - for live audio" is not the issue I want to discuss here...

The DI outs on your keyboard are likely mic level

use the yammie + XLR merge box

"merge box"?

If I use the Yammie - it gives the signal a boost, so I can then run from the Main Outs of the Yam. into the L/R inputs on a stereo channel on Soundcraft MFXi8 FOH mixer.

Your problem is running the XLR DI from your amp to the stereo input of your FOH mixer without XLR-to-1/4" transformers. They sell them at most music stores and Radio Shack. You could either use these to plug your amp signal to the FOH mixer or plug a Mic into one of the regular line inputs on your FOH mixer when you are low on mic inputs.

ya if u run out of inputs on your main front of house mixer use the little yamaha

afaik any time u di from an amp (whether it's a guitar, bass or keyboard amp) you need to use mic pres to bring the signal back up.

I would just run the keyboards into the amp, use the di output to the Yamaha and use the main outs of the yam to the stereo inputs on the foh

if the cable runs from the foh to the keyboard rig are going to be pretty long then I'd put the Yamaha mixer beside the sound craft at the foh and I'd try to plug the two mixers into the same power source.

running long cables from the back of the yam to the foh kinda defeats the purpose of di boxes and can introduce hum. I would just think of the yam as extra pres and not as a keyboard sub-mixer per say IMHO

Depending on the serial number of your KP-200S, you might be able to get more level out of the XLRs.

See this for support:

http://www.motionsoundamps.com/product.php?name=kp-200s

Possible mod for gain:

http://www.motionsoundamps.com/data/products/kp-200s/support/KP-200S%20pre%20amp%20mods.jpg

I'd suggest contacting the company if you're not sure if your unit could be improved, or if the improvement would be sufficient for your needs.